Grass-gathering machine.



F. E. WAITB. I GRASS GATHERING MACHINE.

' AIPLIUATION FILED NOV. 2, 1910. I

Patented July 2, 1912.

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GRASS-GATHERIN MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1912.

. Application filed November 2, 1910.- Serial No. 590,262.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. VVAITE,

. a citizen of the United States, residing at Oshkosh, in the county ofWinnebago and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in 'Grass- Gathering Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to a machine more especially adapted toarrange and bundle a typeof grass employed in the manufacture of grasscarpets and similar articles.

The objects of the present invention are, to construct a machine whichis capable of being operated upon the soft marshy ground in which thisgrass generally grows; to. provide means for combing out the ends of thegrasses prior to their bundling to provide means for leveling the buttends of the grasses prior to the bundling; to rovide means for conveyingthe grasses a ter the leveling operation to the bundling mecha-' nism;and to provide power mechanism for actuating the bundling mechanism andthe conveyer for carrying the grasses across the table. And the generalobject is to provide a mechanism which will arrange andbundle thegrasses and at the same time maintain the grasses in he same arrangementthey were in before being cut.

The invention further consistsin the features of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Fi ure. 1 is a plan, view of the machine of t e presentinvention with the bundling or knotter mechanism removed; and Fig. 2 isa side elevation of the. completed machine. I i

The device comprises a framework 3 of suitable style, and size, which ismounted upon companion runners 4 located upon either side of the machineand connected-by. cross braces 4, and'the framework supports,

at its upper end, a horizontally extending table 5, which, as shown moreclearly in Fig. 1, is somewhat shorter than the runners, so thattherunners project consideri ably in front thereof. And it Willfurthermorebe seen from Fig. 1 that the table is I not of a width equal to thedistance between the outer edges. of the runners;"that is to say, the'runners project beyond the side.

\edges of the table, wherebya space is provided at either side of thetable :for the opera tor or operators when they are stendinguuponMounted upon the the runners, By this construction and a1- rangement,the runners 4, in addition to providing a mounting for the entiremechanism, also serve-as a running or foot board along the side of thedevice, upon which the operators stand.

The table 5is cut away in its central portion and virtually consists ofa framework 6, 1n the rails of which are mounted forward and rear shafts7 and 8 respectively. shaft 7 is a roller 9, and mounted upon the shaft8 is a roller 10; and extending over these rollers is an endless belt orcarrier 11. One of the shaftsthe shaft 7'as shown, has affixed thereto adriving sprocket or pulley 12, which is operatively connected to certainportions ofna knotter mechanism 13, although the method of driving thisbelt can be varied without departure from the spirit of the invention.

The knotting mechanism, as shown, is located at the rear end of thetable 5 and is of any well known constructiomafor placing upon theelongated runners 4 shown in the drawings; By utilizing this mounting, abroad surface is presented for the device to travel upon over theground. This is necessitated because of the fact that the grasses forthe handling of which this machine was Inore particularly designed growin marshy localities. Hence, it has been found impossible to operate an:ordinary binder with. anydegrees of success, owing to the fact thatthetraction wheels of the binder will become so submerged into theground as to render the progress of the machine diflicult, if notentirelyimpossible. By utilizing the runners, however, a broad flatsurface is presented, which will not exert any cutting action upon theground, and

hence its movements over the ground will be, to .all practical purposes,free and easy. :In the ordinary binder, the actuation of thecutting'.mechanism and the binding 65 "will arise.

melmnism is pcrl'ornual through the mebound.-

is necessary. to permit the grasses .to lie upon the ground for acertain period oftime between'the cutting and binding operations. Thisisbecause of thefact that the grasses when initially Tout are so filledwith moisture that if bound at thattime, the portions in the center of.the bundle will become so compressed as to render the disentanglement'and separation of. the grasses from the bundle quite difiicult, if notimpossible. It is therefore essential that these grasses be gathered andbound, when they are in a dry state, a'ndin order" to accomplish this a:certain period o ffbleachng or drying must be permitted afterthecut-ting operation. It has furthermore been found that if these grassesshould becomeentail-- .gled during the'gathering operation, a separationafter suchentanglcrnent would be im- I possible. It is thereforeessential that the grasses be laid upon the ground'in a dis entangledcondition and be carried to "the bundle and placed in the bundle in thissame condition/ And it is furthermore an extremely desirable feature toso arrange these bundles of grasses as to have their abutting ends leveland unifo rm,"thus obviating the iearrangingof the grasses when they arefed- 45 into the spinning machine. Therefora'to properly gather thegrasses, the following steps must be taken. First, they must be cut andlaid in rows of gavels along the ground. Then they mustbe taken andgath- .ered into bundles, but cut-angling and dis arrangement of thegrasses during this gathering process must be avoided. Then the buttends of the grassesinust be leveled and thenv they must be placed intobundles and disarrangement and entan lement of the grasses must beavoidedwhilb they are being bound into bundles, so thatlthe grasseswhile being cut and bundled mustbe kept in the same relative positiontoone' 'another during 60 these-operations they were when standing. Andthe machine of the presentinvention is designed. and adapted to performthe leveling and bundling. operations in a manner whereby noentanglement of the grasses In -the .gathering of grasses, such as areused in the manufacture of grass carpets, 1t

After the grasses l1ave'lmen cut and laid in rows of gavels, they areleft there tuna predetermined length of timein order to permit them tothoroughly dry. The 1na-" chine'of the present invention isthen placedin thefield. and is moved between the rows of gavels lying upon theground. A numbei' of, operators gather the gavels from the ground andconvey them 'tofthe operators standing" upon the runners4 of the device;orthe operators standing upon the runners 'mayreach down. and pickthegavels up as the machine progresses through, the field,

this-depending altogether on the width be- 8O The operator standing uponthe runners then-takes the grasses and. levels-thexbutttween the rows ofgavels upon the ground.

ends by striking them against'one 'ot the butting boards 14 or15;,and-if it is found that any dirt-or other foreign matter isclinging-tothe grasses, they are subjected to a combi ng operation bystrikingthem against the teeth of the comb 1G. I After-the butt endshave been leveled, the grasses are laid'upon theendless con-veyer 1 1and carriedrearward, to the .rear,end of the table, where they "arefinally deposited within the hopper'of .the binding mechanism and arethere packed and bound.

I claim: 1. In a' machine of the class described,

the combination withbinding mechanism of a table communicating with thebinding.

mechanism, skid-like runners on which-the table and binding mechanismare mounted,

said runnersbeing of substantial width,-

whereby'the device is adapted to travel upon moist groundwit-houtbecomingembedded therein, means for conveying the grasses alongthesurfaceof the table "and. sta-' tionary surface upon the table for"evening the buttcnds of the grassesprior to their being placed upon theconveying member, substantially as described. I

2. In a machine of the class described, the

"combination with binding mechanism of a table communicating with the.binding mechanism, skid-like runners upon which the table and bindingmechanism are mounted, said runners being'of awidth whereby ;the deviceis supported, in traveling over' moist ground, to prevent" its becomingem- I bedded therein, said runners extending beyond the sides of thetable and serving as footeboards for the operator's, an endless belttraveling across the surface of said table,

for conveying the grasses 'to the binding mechanism,-and' stationarybutting boards arranged. along said. endless carrier, for evening thebutt ends of the grasses prior to their being placed on the endlesscarrier, substantially as described. r

3. In a machine of the class described,'.the combination withbindingmechanism of a I table communicating with-the bindingmechanism,skid-like runners upon which the combination with binding mechanism of atable communicating with" the (binding mechanism, skid -1ike runners;upon which the table and binding mechanism are mounted, means forconveying the grasses over the surface of the table and into the bindingmechanism, and' stationary butting boards spaced away from saidconveying means, for evening the butt ends of the grasses prior to theirinsertion upon the conveying means, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with bindingmechanism of a table communicating with the binding mechanism, skid-likerunners upon which the table and binding mechanism are mountcd, saidrunners extending beyond the sides of the table and serving asfoot-boards for the operators,

Corrections in Letters Patent No. 1,030,950.

an endless belt traveling across said table, for conveylng grasses tothe binding mechanism, and stationary butting boards spaced away fromsaid belt,

for-evening the butt ends of the grasses prior to their being placed onthe belt, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the class described, the. I

combination of a supporting framework and binding mechanism thereon,skid-like runners upon which the framework is mounted,

of a nature to permit travel of the machine over moist ground, and anendless conveyer supported upon said framework, and

arranged to travel-in a substantially horizontalline and to lie on topof the machine, said-conveyer being adapted to receive cut grassesmanually placed thereon, said conveyer and binding mechanism terminatingsaid grasses are conveyed to said binding mechanism in a substantiallyhorizontal line of the movement and are maintained in their naturalorder of parallelism during at substantially thesame height, wherebysuch conveying operation, substantially as described;

' 7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of asupporting framework and binding mechanism thereon, skid-like runnersupon which the framework isjmounted, of a nature to permit'travel ofthemachine over moist ground, an endless conveyer sup- .ported upon saidframework and arran ed to travel in a substantially horizontal line andto lie at the top. of the machine, said conveyer being adapted toreceive cut grasses-manually placed thereon, said conveyer and bindingmechanism terminating at substantially the same height, whereby said.grasses are conveyed to said binding mechanism in a substantiallyhorizontal line of movement and are maintained in their natural order ofparallelism'during such conveying operation, and means for evening thebutt ends of the grasses prior to the building operation, substantiallyas described. v

FREDERICK EJVVAITE. WVitnesses C. W. BLAKEMAN,

WM; DoMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addresshigthe commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0.

ment in Grass-Gathering Machines, requiring correction as follows: Pageline 54, strike out the article the; page, line 77, for the Wordbuilding read din/dang,- Patent should be read with these correctionstherein that the same may to the record of the case in the PatentOffice.

Signed and sealed this 24th day of February, A. D.,-'1914.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No; 1,030,950, grantedJuly 2', 1912,

upon the application of Frederick Waite, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for animproveerrors appear in the printed specification.

same

and that the said. Letters conform J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

anism, skid-like runners upon which the combination with bindingmechanism of a table communicating with" the (binding mechanism, skid-1ike runners; upon which the table and binding mechanism are mounted,means for conveying the grasses over the surface of the table and intothe binding mechanism, and' stationary butting boards spaced away fromsaid conveying means, for evening the butt ends of the grasses prior totheir insertion upon the conveying means, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with bindingmechanism of a table communicating with the binding mechanism, skid-likerunners upon which the table and binding mechanism are mountcd, saidrunners extending beyond the sides of the table and serving asfoot-boards for the operators,

Corrections in Letters Patent No. 1,030,950.

an endless belt traveling across said table, for conveylng grasses tothe binding mechanism, and stationary butting boards spaced away fromsaid belt,

for-evening the butt ends of the grasses prior to their being placed onthe belt, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the class described, the. I

combination of a supporting framework and binding mechanism thereon,skid-like runners upon which the framework is mounted,

of a nature to permit travel of the machine over moist ground, and anendless conveyer supported upon said framework, and

arranged to travel-in a substantially horizontalline and to lie on topof the machine, said-conveyer being adapted to receive cut grassesmanually placed thereon, said conveyer and binding mechanism terminatingsaid grasses are conveyed to said binding mechanism in a substantiallyhorizontal line of the movement and are maintained in their naturalorder of parallelism during at substantially thesame height, wherebysuch conveying operation, substantially as described;

' 7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of asupporting framework and binding mechanism thereon, skid-like runnersupon which the framework isjmounted, of a nature to permit'travel ofthemachine over moist ground, an endless conveyer sup- .ported upon saidframework and arran ed to travel in a substantially horizontal line andto lie at the top. of the machine, said conveyer being adapted toreceive cut grasses-manually placed thereon, said conveyer and bindingmechanism terminating at substantially the same height, whereby said.grasses are conveyed to said binding mechanism in a substantiallyhorizontal line of movement and are maintained in their natural order ofparallelism'during such conveying operation, and means for evening thebutt ends of the grasses prior to the building operation, substantiallyas described. v

FREDERICK EJVVAITE. WVitnesses C. W. BLAKEMAN,

WM; DoMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addresshigthe commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0.

ment in Grass-Gathering Machines, requiring correction as follows: Pageline 54, strike out the article the; page, line 77, for the Wordbuilding read din/dang,- Patent should be read with these correctionstherein that the same may to the record of the case in the PatentOffice.

Signed and sealed this 24th day of February, A. D.,-'1914.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No; 1,030,950, grantedJuly 2', 1912,

upon the application of Frederick Waite, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for animproveerrors appear in the printed specification.

same

and that the said. Letters conform J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

